Connection game system and method of using the same

ABSTRACT

A connection game system has a game server, an operating machine and multiple player interfaces. The operating machine is electrically connected to the game server. The player interfaces are electrically connected to the game server to allow multiple players to input signals and to display game information to the players. The game server has a processing program for controlling processes of a game and providing a choosing function for allowing one of the players to serve as a banker for the game. With such a system, a player is allowed to be a banker and the system is versatile and fair in use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a connection game system, and moreparticularly to a connection game system and a method of using the same.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic or video games are always arranged on amusement places toprovide effects of entertainment, relaxation and competition to users.To improve the entertainment effect of the games, multiple game machinesare connected with each other to allow multiple players to playcompetitive games, for example Black Jack, Roulette, Poker game,Lottery, tube Mahjong, Baccarat or Sic-Bo.

However, a casino operator or a game club is always a banker for theconventional competitive games to take the advantage or commission fromthe games, but a player can not be a banker. Therefore, the conventionalmulti-player games are not versatile in use, and doubt of the casinooperator's inequitable conduct to break the fair of playing the gamesalways exits.

Additionally, in gambling games, a player can be a banker in a game inwhich all players are real people, but to deal and to calculate lossesand gains are manual and this is time-consuming and easily cheatable.

To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention tends to provide aconnection game system to mitigate or obviate the aforementionedproblems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the invention is to provide a gam system thatallows a player to be a banker and is versatile and fair in use. Theconnection game system has a game server, an operating machine andmultiple player interfaces. The operating machine is electricallyconnected to the game server. The player interfaces are electricallyconnected to the game server to allow multiple players to input signalsand to display game information to the players. The game server has aprocessing program for controlling processes of a game and providing achoosing function for allowing one of the players to serve as a bankerfor the game.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description when takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a game system in accordance with thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a method of using a gam system inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side plane view of an operational embodiment of a playerinterface of the game system in FIG. 1 showing that a user is requestedto be a banker or not;

FIG. 4 is a side plane view of an operational embodiment of a playerinterface of the game system in FIG. 1 showing which player being abanker;

FIG. 5 is a side plane view of an operational embodiment of a playerinterface of the game system in FIG. 1 showing the remaining time forplacing stakes by players;

FIG. 6 is a side plane view of an operational embodiment of a playerinterface of the game system in FIG. 1 showing that the casino operatoris requested to support the player banker if the function is enabled;

FIG. 7 is a side plane view of an operational embodiment of a playerinterface of the game system in FIG. 1 showing that a previous banker isrequested to be a banker in a new game or not;

FIG. 8 is a side plane view of an operational embodiment of a playerinterface of the game system in FIG. 1 showing that a player is notqualified as a banker; and

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of another embodiment of a method of using a gamsystem in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, a connection game system in accordance withthe present invention comprises a game server (10), an operating machine(11) and multiple player interfaces (12).

The game server (10) comprises a computer, an uninterruptible powersupply (UPS) connected to the computer and a hub electrically connectedto the operating machine (11) and the player interfaces (12). The gameserver (10) further has a processing program for controlling processesof a game, starting a processing of dealing, receiving signals of sentfrom the operating machine (11), receiving the input signals from theplayer interfaces (12), sending signals to the player interfaces (12)and providing a choosing function for allowing one of the players toserve as a banker for the game.

In an embodiment of the game system for applying for a tube Mahjonggame, with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8, the processing program can processthe following steps:

1. Sending signals to the operating machine (11) and player interfaces(12) to start a game.

2. Sending a signal to the player interfaces (12) to allow the playersto choose to be a banker for a game round as shown in FIG. 3. If creditof any player achieves a predetermined level, he or she is qualified asa banker. Contrarily, if credit of a player is lower than thepredetermined level as shown in FIG. 8, the player cannot be a banker.After the processing program determines the banker, the game server (10)sends a signal to the player interfaces (12) to show which player is thebanker to the players as shown in FIG. 4. After the game round is over,the previous banker can determine to serve as the banker for the nextnew game round or not.

3. Sending a signal to the player interfaces (12) to show the remainingtime for wagering to the players to allow the players to place stakes asshown in FIG. 5.

4. Receiving input signals by the players from the player interfaces(12) to the game server (10).

5. Sending a signal to the player interfaces (12) to show that the timefor placing stakes is over.

6. Providing a function of requesting a casino operator or a game clubto support the banker if the credits of the banker are less than theamount of the stake credits placed by the players as shown in FIG. 6.When the casino operator supports the banker, the casino operator andthe banker share the won or lost bet amount.

7. Sending a signal to start the operating machine (11) to operate,receiving the operational result signals from the operating machine (11)and sending the result signals to the player interfaces (12) for showingthe game result to the players.

8. Calculating the won or lost credits of each players and banker basedon the game rule and sending the calculating results to the playerinterfaces (12).

9. Requesting the previous banker to be a banker for a next game roundor not as shown in FIG. 7.

10. Repeating the above acts until the game is over.

The operating machine (11) is electrically connected to the game server(10) and is switched on or off by the signals sent from the game server(10). In a preferred embodiment, the operating machine (11) is a balldrawing machine comprising balls served as cards or Mahjong. The balldrawing machine may comprise a computer, a detector for detecting thenumbers or symbols on the balls, an air blower for blowing the balls toroll and fly and a ball selector to gain a ball randomly. In analternative embodiment, the operating machine (1) can be a built-incomponent of the game server (10) and may be a computer or a randomnumber generator (RNG) mounted in the game server (10).

The player interfaces (12) may be electronic game machines (EGMs), areelectrically connected to the game server (10) to allow multiple playersto input signals and to display game information to the players. Eachplayer interface (12) may include a keyboard, a display and a cardreader for players inputting signals to the game server (10) and showingoff game results to the players.

With reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 9, a method for using a game systemcomprising acts of:

A. Starting the game system and initiating a new round or a new game.The game system comprises a game server (10), an operating machine (11)electrically connected to the game server (10) and multiple playerinterfaces (12) electrically connected to the game server (10) to allowmultiple players to input signals and to display game information to theplayers. The game server (10), operating machine (11) and the playerinterfaces (12) are connected with each other by intranet or internet.The game server (10) has a processing program for controlling processesof a game including a banker and at least one ordinary player eachhaving credits for placing stakes and calculating result.

B. Requesting one of the players to be a banker through the playerinterfaces (12). The game server (10) sends a signal for requesting forthe banker to the player interfaces (12), and the players input choiceto the game server (10) through the player interfaces (12). If no playerwants to be a banker, the casino operator serves as the banker.

C. Determining which one of the players is the banker with the gameserver (10). If more than two players want to be the banker, theprocessing program of the game server (10) determines the player havingthe most credits to be the banker. If more than two players have thesame credits, the system randomly chooses one of the players to be thebanker.

D. Sending the banker information to all the players. The game systemshows off which one of the players or the casino operator is the bankerto the players on the player interfaces (12).

E. Starting the operating machine (11) to processing the game by thegame server (10) and producing the game outcome.

F. Placing stakes by the players through the player interfaces (12). Inan alternative embodiment, the game system can enter a betting stage toallow the players to wager their bets before starting the operatingmachine (11) as shown in FIG. 9.

G. Showing off game result to the players through the player interfaces(12). During the act, the system calculates the won amount of eachplayer, the won amount or lost credit of banker and won amount or lostcredit of the house, if a house-backup function is enabled.

When the credits of the banker is less than amount of the stakes placedby the players, the processing program of the game server (10) providesa house-backup function to request a casino operator to support thebanker. If the casino operator support the banker, the casino operatorand the banker share the won or lost credits in the game.

After each game round is over, the game server (10) will send a signalto inform the previous banker to be a banker for a next game round ornot. If the previous banker wants to be or not to be the banker for thenext game round, he or she can input from the corresponding playerinterface (12).

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the presentinvention have been set forth in the foregoing description, togetherwith details of the structure and function of the invention, thedisclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail,especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts withinthe principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by thebroad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims areexpressed.

1. A connection game system comprising: a game server; and multipleplayer interfaces electrically connected to the game server to allowmultiple players to input signals and to display game information to theplayers, wherein the game server has a processing program forcontrolling processes of a game and providing a choosing function forallowing one of the players to serve as a banker for the game.
 2. Thegame system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an operatingmachine electrically connected to the game server.
 3. The game system asclaimed in claim 2, wherein the game server comprises a computer; anuninterruptible power supply connected to the computer; and a hubelectrically connected to the operating machine and the playerinterfaces.
 4. A method for using a game system comprising acts of:starting a game system comprising a game server, an operating machineelectrically connected to the game server and multiple player interfaceselectrically connected to the game server to allow multiple players toinput signals and to display game information to the players, whereinthe game server has a processing program for controlling processes of agame including a banker and at least one ordinary player each havingcredits for placing stakes and counting result, starting a processing ofdealing, receiving signals of sent from the operating machine, receivingthe input signals from the player interfaces, sending signals to theplayer interfaces and providing a choosing function for allowing one ofthe players to serve as a banker; choosing the banker from the playersthrough the player interfaces; determining which one of the players isthe banker with the game server; sending the banker information to allthe players; starting the operating machine to processing the game bythe game server; placing stakes by the players through the playerinterfaces; and showing off game result to the players through theplayer interfaces.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein in theact of determining which one of the players is the banker, if more thantwo players want to be the banker, the processing program of the gameserver determines the player having the most credits to be the banker.6. The method as claimed in claim 5 further comprising an act ofproviding a house-backup function of requesting a casino operator tosupport the banker when the credits of the banker is less than amount ofthe stakes placed by the players or lower than a predetermined level. 7.The method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising an act of providinga house-backup function of requesting a casino operator to support thebanker when the credits of the banker is less than amount of the stakesplaced by the players.